Mercedes’ plan to replace Lewis Hamilton with Kimi Antonelli has been branded ‘unfair’ by Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire.
Hamilton looks set to join Ferrari next season in a ground-breaking move in Formula One.
Antonelli has been handpicked by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to succeed Hamilton for the 2025 F1 season.
And he is not the only F2 racer to be promoted with Oliver Bearman also set to make the step up with Haas.
Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes for Ferrari next
Jack Doohan, who finished third in 2023 in the F2, has also been picked up by Alpine and there could be more new faces next year with Liam Lawson linked with Red Bull and Audi.
But none of them have ever won a title in F2, while reigning champion Pourchaire has hit out at the decision to promote those who have not lifted silverware in the past.
Pourchaire, who has been linked with Audi as well, told Motorsport.com: “I did my best on track.
“Sure, some people say I won the championship in my third year of F2 and it doesn’t sound great, but I won it when I was 20.
“I’m the youngest race winner in F2 and F3, so I have nothing to prove. I just need an opportunity, that’s all.
“From the outside, for sure, if you’re in my shoes, it seems unfair.
“Like I think it’s unfair for Drugovich, for example, who won the title… That’s how it is, that’s the world of F1.
“I’m just happy to be in the paddock again. And like I said, I really hope to get my chance one day. I’m ready to give everything.”
Antonelli was recently given his Formula One debut by Wolff at the Italian Grand Prix during practice but ended up crashing George Russell’s car in spectacular fashion.
Speaking about the incident, Wolff said: “Clearly here, with everything piling up on him in Monza, that is very difficult to cope with. Is that the reason why he put it in the wall? Maybe.
“For him, it feels certainly terrible, but it is part of the development curve.
“What we see is there is performance, and we have even seen that in the few laps we have seen but what he did, the car couldn’t take.
“A strong driver needs to recover from these things, cope with the pressure, but obviously this weekend wasn’t easy for him – you still need to compete in F2, you have all these shenanigans around you in Monza, an Italian kid that is being hyped, first time in a Mercedes car.
“That must be a heavy burden but if he wants to be a champion one day he needs to cope with that, and I’ve no doubt that he can and he will.”
